for dan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1343 



color following the rows of scales below the lateral line. Lesser Antilles 

 to Brazil; not rare on sandy coasts. It has not been found in Cuba. 

 (luteus, yellow.) 



Lutianus luteus, BLOCH, Ickthyologia, pi. 247, 1793, Martinique ; on a drawing by 



PLUMIER. 



Grammistes hepatus, BLOCH & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth., 187, 1801; after BLOCH. 

 Diagramma cavifrons, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 290, pi. 123, 1830, 



Rio Janeiro. 



? Pristipoma serrula, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 272, Martinique. 

 f Prittipoma auratum, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 272, Martinique. 

 Genyatremus latent, JORDAN & FESLER, I. c., 504. 



Family CLI. SPARID.E. 

 (THE PORGIES.) 



Body oblong, or more or less elevated, covered with rather large, adher- 

 ent scales, which are never truly ctenoid. Lateral line well developed, 

 concurrent with the back, not extending on caudal fin. Head large, the 

 crests on the skull usually largely developed. No suborbital stay. Mouth 

 small, terminal, low, and horizontal. Premaxillaries little protractile; 

 maxillary short, peculiar in form and in articulation, without supple- 

 mental bone, for most of its length slipping under the edge of the preor- 

 bital, which forms a more or less distinct sheath ; preorbital usually broad ; 

 teeth strong, those in front of jaws conical, incisior-like or molar; lateral 

 teeth of jaws always blunt and molar; no teeth on vomer or palatines; 

 posterior nostril largest, usually more or less oblong or slit-like; lower 

 pharyngeals separate; gills 4, a large slit behind the fourth; pseudo- 

 branchiae large; gill rakers moderate; gill membranes separate, free from 

 the isthmus; preopercle entire or serrulate; opercle without spines; sides 

 of head usually scaly; dorsal fin single, continuous, or deeply notched, 

 the spines usually strong, depressible In a groove ; spines heteracanthous, 

 that is, alternating, the one stronger on the right side, the other on the 

 left, the spines 10 to 13 in number ; anal fin rather short, similar to the 

 soft dorsal, and with 3 spines ; ventral fins thoracic, the rays I, 5, with a 

 more or less distinct scale-like appendage at base; caudal fin usually more 

 or less concave behind ; air bladder present, usually simple ; pyloric cceca 

 few; vertebrae usually 10 -{-14 = 24; intestinal canal short. Carnivorous 

 shore fishes of the tropical seas, especially abundant in the Mediterranean, 

 Red Sea, and West Indies. Genera about 12, species about 90, most of 

 them much valued as food. (Sparidce, Saryina, and Payrina, Gunther, 

 Cat. Fishes, i, 437-483.) 



SPARING : 



a. Teeth in front of jaws conical or incisior-like, not molar; dorsal fin continuous ; pos- 

 terior nostril oblong ; preopercle entire. 



b. Second interhsemal bone enlarged, hollowed anteriorly, or pen-shaped, receiving 

 the posterior end of the air bladder in its anterior groove ; posterior nostril 

 slit-like; cheeks scaly. 



c. Front teeth narrow, compressed, forming lanceolate incisors ; the first spine 

 bearing interneural with an antrorse spine; temporal crest obsolete; 



